Be careful what you wish for.

[Res Ipsa]

Gunnar,

The opera restaurant sounds familiar, but I never went there. I must have heard about it second hand. I did go to one other unusual restaurant in Sacramento. The wait staff were dressed up as storybook characters and each room had a theme. The staff acted in character. I don’t recall the name, but I doubt it’s there today.

[Res Ipsa]

Schmo,

It’s amazing how different people can be. I love to chat with servers. For me, it’s a part of the dining experience. I also enjoy a good musical. I wish I could articulate why they singing doesn’t break my immersion in the story, but it just doesn’t. Brains are weird.

I do think you’re probably right about these novelty restaurants don’t last. The restaurant business is tough to start with. People may be drawn to the novelty of the dining experience a couple of times, but the novelty wears off.

I’m trying to think of novelty dining experiences that are around today (not counting dinner theater or cabaret shows). All I can think of is a Japanese steak house (like the old Benihanas chain) and we might still have a Rain Forest café nearby.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

I ate at an Italian restaurant where the owner would croon Tony Bennett songs. He even looked like him, which was perfection. I have to tell you, their food was great, but it was his singing that made the experience divine.

- Doc

[Gunnar]

All servers, both male and female, were voice students from one or more of the local colleges with music departments, who often broke into glorious song in between taking and serving orders. It was a fun place to eat for music lovers like me and my wife.

I would not enjoy that, unless the singers were all rock stars, and even then, I'm not sure I'd want people singing at my table. I sometimes get annoyed when servers linger and talk too much, let alone break out in song. I usually don't enjoy musicals because music has a place, and it's not people singing in movies (unless it's a concert scene or something where music is actually appropriate). An actor starting to sing in the middle of a scene always breaks the suspension of belief I assume when watching a movie.

I'm sincerely glad you enjoyed it, but I suspect the place is gone because more people are like me that way. Just a suspicion. I've met several people who don't like telling a restaurant it's their birthday because they don't want a bunch of servers coming over to sing, and now that I think about it, I haven't seen servers singing birthday wishes in a restaurant in quite some time.

It was not quite like you pictured it. The servers did not come to individual tables to sing. When they sang they stood (sometimes solo, sometimes as duets or trios) on a small stage near the piano (they had an excellent accompanist, also an advanced music student) and sang for the entire clientele currently present. They came to individual tables only to take and deliver orders. They all had excellent, well trained voices -- much better, in my opinion, than all but the very best rock stars I have ever heard. They were also excellent, obsequious servers, who never gave me any cause for complaint, and made it a point to leave one alone, unless their services were immediately needed. When they were not singing, the pianist played requests on the piano, keeping us all entertained.

[Chap]

Another venue I enjoyed when I lived in Sacramento was [Blank's] (I forgot the first name) Opera Café in the Arden Fair Mall. All servers, both male and female, were voice students from one or more of the local colleges with music departments, who often broke into glorious song in between taking and serving orders.

I have been to such a place in a city in a different continent. But of course the servers did not break into song spontaneously in ways that broke up conversations. The menu was fixed, and the dinner started at a given time for everybody who had booked that evening. The students sang (and to some extent acted) their pieces of opera during the period before courses were served, and after each course had been served (to all diners at the same time). That worked out beautifully, and it was a memorable evening.

[Gunnar]

Schmo,

It’s amazing how different people can be. I love to chat with servers. For me, it’s a part of the dining experience. I also enjoy a good musical. I wish I could articulate why they singing doesn’t break my immersion in the story, but it just doesn’t. Brains are weird.

I do think you’re probably right about these novelty restaurants don’t last. The restaurant business is tough to start with. People may be drawn to the novelty of the dining experience a couple of times, but the novelty wears off.

I’m trying to think of novelty dining experiences that are around today (not counting dinner theater or cabaret shows). All I can think of is a Japanese steak house (like the old Benihanas chain) and we might still have a Rain Forest café nearby.

I'm with you on that. I often enjoy chatting with servers and getting to know them, when their duties permit. My children, when they were small, also enjoyed the attention of friendly servers, and many servers found them adorable because they were always so well-behaved and seemed so interested in what was going on around them. Treating the servers with friendliness and respect always makes for a better dining experiences both for the servers and the diners. I detest the way some diners seem to feel entitled to treat their servers as inferior beings not worthy of any respect or courtesy.

[Gunnar]

Another venue I enjoyed when I lived in Sacramento was [Blank's] (I forgot the first name) Opera Café in the Arden Fair Mall. All servers, both male and female, were voice students from one or more of the local colleges with music departments, who often broke into glorious song in between taking and serving orders.

I have been to such a place in a city in a different continent. But of course the servers did not break into song spontaneously in ways that broke up conversations. The menu was fixed, and the dinner started at a given time for everybody who had booked that evening. The students sang (and to some extent acted) their pieces of opera during the period before courses were served, and after each course had been served (to all diners at the same time). That worked out beautifully, and it was a memorable evening.

The opera café I was reminiscing about was not quite like that, but neither did they spontaneously break into song, unannounced at random times. They always announced when they were about to stage one of their performances, giving the clientele time to prepare to listen and enjoy, if they were so inclined, which always seemed to be the case every time I ever ate there.

[Some Schmo]

It was not quite like you pictured it. The servers did not come to individual tables to sing. When they sang they stood (sometimes solo, sometimes as duets or trios) on a small stage near the piano (they had an excellent accompanist, also an advanced music student) and sang for the entire clientele currently present. They came to individual tables only to take and deliver orders. They all had excellent, well trained voices -- much better, in my opinion, than all but the very best rock stars I have ever heard. They were also excellent, obsequious servers, who never gave me any cause for complaint, and made it a point to leave one alone, unless their services were immediately needed. When they were not singing, the pianist played requests on the piano, keeping us all entertained.

You're right; I had a completely different picture in my head.

My last post might have given a wrong impression also. I love live music, and what you described here sounds great. It occurs to me just now how much context/setting matters for music (just like it matters for everything else).

[Some Schmo]

Schmo,

It’s amazing how different people can be. I love to chat with servers. For me, it’s a part of the dining experience. I also enjoy a good musical. I wish I could articulate why they singing doesn’t break my immersion in the story, but it just doesn’t. Brains are weird.

It really depends on the server. Some of them seem to be chatty superficially, just trying to increase their tip, and not really interested in the quality of their service. When I sense that, I just want them to go away.

Other times, however, they are really sweet, genuine, and helpful, like they really care about your dining experience. I don't mind talking to them. Part of that character is knowing when to walk away.

But yeah, my wife also completely digs musicals. She wishes I enjoyed them more because then we'd be watching them regularly, but the opportunity cost is too high. There's so much other entertainment we both enjoy together, so... not enough time for musicals. We give each other time to watch the stuff only we want to watch.

I do think you’re probably right about these novelty restaurants don’t last. The restaurant business is tough to start with. People may be drawn to the novelty of the dining experience a couple of times, but the novelty wears off.

I’m trying to think of novelty dining experiences that are around today (not counting dinner theater or cabaret shows). All I can think of is a Japanese steak house (like the old Benihanas chain) and we might still have a Rain Forest café nearby.

Agreed. Those kinds of restaurants must rely on tourism because they aren't the kinds of places that attract a lot of regulars. If they're not in a touristy location, they might be screwed.

But yeah, the restaurant business is tough. You have to be really lucky with location, ambiance and staff.

[Moksha]

Another venue I enjoyed when I lived in Sacramento was [Blank's] (I forgot the first name) Opera Café in the Arden Fair Mall. All servers, both male and female, were voice students from one or more of the local colleges with music departments, who often broke into glorious song in between taking and serving orders.

I've wondered about a Flash Mob of young LDS chorus members gathering to sing some LDS hits on Temple Square. It would be a glorious experience at least until Church Security called in the Salt Lake City SWAT team.

I really miss the old Sunrise Japanese restaurant on State Street in SLC. Best teriyaki chicken wings and calamari ever.